Luke Menard has a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, as he is now cancer-free and feeling better than he has in years.  Just after his stint on American Idol this past season, Luke went and had some tests run due to a persistent cough and a very tight feeling in his chest.  Although he is faithful about working out, Luke said he was suddenly winded while walking from his house to the car.  After years of being told he had allergies, the doctor ran some scans, and it was discovered that Luke had Hodgkin lymphoma.  Having received twelve rounds of chemotherapy, there are no cancerous cells detected in Luke's body.  Unfortunately, the hard part isn't necessarily over, as he is now set to receive radiation treatments once a day, five times a week, for the next month as a preventative measure. While most people in the midst of chemotherapy treatments would probably slow down, this was not the case for Luke.  Wanting to strike while the AI iron was hot, Luke drove to Nashville in between chemo treatments to begin working on a solo album in the Christian Contemporary genre.  While his family thought he was crazy for doing this, Luke's doctor gave him the "all clear" for the Nashville trips, and so Luke continued to do so until he recorded about half of an album.  Toward the end of the treatments, it simply became too difficult to manage.  However, Luke is not deterred.  In fact, he is hoping to move to Nashville in January or February in order to shop the album around to several labels.  Interestingly enough, he worked with season six's Chris Sligh, as Chris is enjoying success in the Christian music realm himself.  Luke says the album is very piano-driven and has a kind of a "British pop" feel to it. As if his solo work wasn't impressive enough, Luke also managed to help his a capella band, Chapter 6, complete their latest album.  He is doing some touring with them in the next few weeks for their Christmas shows.  His long term future with the band is uncertain, however, as Luke really wants to focus on his solo album.  He is also taking advantage of his free time right now to travel with his wife of four years, Lara, who is doing her tour of Christmas shows as a member of the famous Rockettes.  For six years, with both of them touring, they lived to meet up in the middle in between shows. Besides the obvious thrill that comes with being told he is cancer-free, Luke is ecstatic to have full use of his lungs.  When he was first diagnosed, the fluid was being compressed in his right lung so much; the doctor said he was basically living off the use of one lung.  He is now able to breathe deeply again, which is great for exercising as well as performing. It's safe to say that it has been a bittersweet year for Luke, as he loved being on American Idol.  He said that he was in awe of the professionalism of the musicians and everyone behind the scenes on the show, and that it definitely helped him to grow as a performer.  He still keeps in touch with quite a few people from AI, and even got together with the Top 10 while they toured in Indianapolis near Luke's home.  While he was at the show, each of the Top 10 Idols signed a guitar, and it was then auctioned off to help Luke pay for his mounting medical bills. Of course, it was next to impossible to interview Luke Menard without asking him if he had heard the buzz surrounding the many celebs people thought he resembled.  He laughed and said that he not only heard about it, but there was some mention of it in every email that he received while on the show.  Who were some of the Luke doppelgangers?  He heard everything from Luke Perry to Patrick Dempsey to Orlando Bloom, with Ryan Seacrest even calling him "Dawson's Creek" in reference to his resemblance to James Van Der Beek.  Luke took it all in stride, of course, but what confused him is how he could look like so many different people!  Good looks aside, Luke most certainly has a renewed outlook on life these days. Luke sent us some great photos of him and some Idol friends!  Check them out now. 

David Cook enters the Billboard charts at #3 with his self-titled debut album (19 Recordings / RCA Records) selling 279,578 units. The Rob Cavallo produced album is also the #1 CD on the digital album chart and is the best debut from an American Idol winner since 2006. “Light On," the first single from the album, has been dominating the AOL Top 40 Songs chart at #1 for the past 6 weeks and is currently #1 on the ClearChannel On Demand Chart. It was also the #1 gainer at adult radio and debuted as the breakout track on this week’s American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest.  In late September, “Light On” premiered on AOL Music’s pop culture news site, PopEater.com, receiving over 1 million plays in less than week. The ClearChannel premiere of the Wayne Isham directed “Light On” video became their best performing video premiere ahead of Linkin’ Park, The Eagles and Ne-Yo. The American Idol single “The Time Of My Life” (which is featured as a bonus track on David Cook) has reached platinum status with over 1 million tracks sold. The still-humble David sat down with us to talk about his surreal existence since his season seven win--watch the video now.

American Idol had a very strong presence at last night's 2008 American Music Awards.  Not only did Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta, David Cook, and Daughtry (with lead singer Chris Daughtry) present awards, but there were also a number of wins in the AI camp: Daughtry-Favorite Band, Duo or Group, Rock or Pop Music Jordin Sparks-Favorite Artist, Adult Contemporary Music Carrie Underwood-Favorite Album, Country Music--for Carnival Ride David Cook was also a featured guest as he performed live from the red carpet prior to the show.  Congratulations to Jordin, Chris, and Carrie!

The 56th annual Nashville Christmas Parade will once again help usher in the holiday season in Nashville, with Phil Stacey acting as the 2008 Grand Marshal. The parade, a long-standing Nashville tradition, will showcase Nashville's rich history of musical entertainment with floats rolling down Broadway, holiday lights illuminating the night sky, and bands immersing the streets with the magical sounds of the holiday season.  This year's parade theme is "Christmas Memories" and will take place on December 5th at 7:00 p.m. Phil will be performing along with Barbershop Harmony Society member quartet "Lunch Break," after Mayor Karl Dean holds the Annual City Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.  Following the tree lighting ceremony, the parade festivities will move to the intersection of 6th and Broadway where the opening ceremonies, complete with Ribbon Cutting and Fireworks, will take place at 6:45 p.m., just prior to the start of the parade. The parade will begin at 6th and Broadway and head east to popular 2nd Avenue and then follow the Woodland Street Bridge to JP Field. The viewers didn't get to see Phil's humorous side on camera very much during season six--check out our interview with Phil from last year, in which he offers some funny advice to AI contestants, and discusses the making of his album.

Jon Peter Lewis, who we just caught up with this week (Check back soon for the video), is playing at the famous venue, The Mint, in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 23rd.  If you are in or around L.A., you can catch Jon on stage at 8 PM. Get a preview of some Jon Peter Lewis music right now, here on americanidol.com. JPL's video for "Break The Silence" Jon's Performance of "Amanda Grace" for americanidol.com

The Tony Award-winning musical ‘‘Ain’t Misbehavin’” has become a haven for former Idols these days.  Ruben Studdard is starring in the production alongside fellow alums Trenyce and Frenchie Davis.  It will be playing at the Cultural Center in Scranton from Nov. 28 to 30.  Trenyce spoke with the Scranton Times Tribune about the complexity of the show:  “One second, it’s a comedic type of show and then the next moment you’re drawn in by the song ‘Black and Blue’ which basically tells how Fats Waller and the black people of that era were kind of left out as an entire race, but they were very talented and had to find ways to make money off their music.”  The show is steeped in history, and was in its second year when Trenyce was born!  The actual song "Ain't Misbehavin'" was released in the late 1920s, and ultimately became the basis for the now-famous revue. Trenyce has stayed busy since her time on season two of AI.  On top of her role in "Ain't Misbehavin'," she recently shot a pilot episode for a sketch-comedy series that she not only co-wrote but directed and produced as well.  As she revealed to the Tribune, “A lot of celebrities are interested in being guest stars on the show, so I’m very excited about producing and writing and directing my first comedic sketch show." Her role in the musical gave Trenyce her first experience in the jazz realm, and she went into the studio to record the soundtrack with several jazz musicians.  She also had to learn how to tap dance in less than ten days!  While singing is still Trenyce's biggest passion, she sees a huge value in keeping her skill set diverse.  As she says in the article, "I think it’s really important to show whatever talents you have in this industry.  We’re living in an age where it’s not enough to do just one thing and I don’t want to spend my entire life waiting on something to happen. I pretty much feel like, if you want something, you have to create it.”

Two extremely lucky female David Cook fans had the experience of a lifetime, as one of them won the contest on David's web site that sent her and her friend to see him perform in The Big Apple.  Check out the details of their unforgettable day below: I’m sitting on an airplane about to fly to NY to see David Cook perform on Good Morning America.  I turn to my friend Susan and make a silly face, she responds with “is this really happening?”  I myself still cannot believe it.  I won a contest to fly to NY to see David Cook on Good Morning America...um...really?? A short 45 minute flight later the flight attendant says “Welcome to New York, enjoy your stay” Oh hot damn...we are here!  Susan and I got a case of the giggles, I don't know if its because we were super tired from having to wake up early, the New York air pollution or the fact that we are going to meet DAVID COOK...probably a combination.   We grab our bags, jump in a taxi and head off to Times Square to our swanky hotel, which was conveniently located on the same block as the Good Morning America Studios. Being that it was football Sunday, Susan and I put on our Baltimore Ravens jerseys to catch the game against the New York Giants at ESPN Zone.  While watching the Giants beat up on the Ravens we were still in awe that we were in New York and going to meet David the next day. After the game we took the walk of shame back to our hotel… all the Giants fans kept reminding us that the Ravens were just walked over.  Oh well, can't win them all! Susan and I changed our clothes and sent a text to our favorite web nerd Josh from RCA, “Josh, save us from the Giants fans!”  Josh and his roommate met up with us at the hotel, we hung out for a bit and decided to go grab a beer and some wings down the street.  We stepped out of the hotel into a MOB of people, it was the TRL finale show and the streets were so crowded you couldn’t even walk.  All we could do was laugh, it was crazy!  We made it to the bar, had a couple beers, and watched some more football.  Josh told us he was going to meet up with us the next morning at 6:45am to walk across the street to the GMA studio.  Susan and I decided we should go back to the hotel to get some beauty rest.  As soon as we got back to the hotel we fell onto our beds and fell asleep to the screaming crowds watching the TRL finale. Bzzzzz...5AM! Ugh!  People really wake up this early?!? I took a shower and pushed Susan out of bed as she’s mumbling “Nooooo....I don’t wanna get up...” Susan and I were putting on our make up and looked at each other and smiled “Yay! We are going to meet David Cook!  How cool is that?” We ran downstairs to meet Josh, we were fashionably late, as all women should be. Josh looked at the both of us and said “Where are your coats?!! It’s freezing outside!”  Um...yea, we left those back in Baltimore, it was 60 degrees when we left, who knew it was going to drop 30 degrees!  Luckily Josh is 6’2” so Susan and I hid behind him to block the wind.  We looked across the street and saw the line of people wrapped around the block...they were all here to see David.  Some had signs, some had blankets or posters and just about everyone had a camera.  We walked up to the front of the line and waited to be let in.  IT WAS FREEZING! We could hear David and the band practicing Light On.  Oooh! So freaking exciting!!!  We waited outside for about 15 minutes and then were escorted into the studio. The woman from GMA put Susan and I right next to the stage!  Other fans started being let in. Some of them said they had been waiting in line outside since 10:30pm the night before!  Now I think David Cook is awesome, but I don't know if I would have lasted outside all night long in 30 degree weather to see him!  They packed as many fans as they could into the small studio, then told us David Cook will be out in 15 minutes.  Susan and I took that time to take pictures of EVERYTHING...even the sleeping roadie...hehe poor guy had no idea.  Then I hear it… all of the shrieking and screaming, I looked up and there he was Mr. David Cook strolling into the room.  It was so weird, the guy that was singing on my TV for 4 months was right in front of me!  I think we took ooooh about 100 pictures...Who needs that many pictures? Nobody, but we took them anyway.  David and the band sang ‘Heroes’ and then ‘Light On’.  Both songs are great, but the live version of Light On blows the recorded version out of the water!  After the band was finished David made his way around to all of the fans, which was amazing.  He is so busy, but he still has time to stop and say “Hello,” to everyone, sign some autographs, pose for pictures and answer questions.  The man is so genuine, he is just awesome. Josh pulled Susan and I off to the side to wait for David.  David was trying to make his way over to us and he kept getting stopped for more autographs and pictures.  At one point he looked up and said “I’m sorry, I’m working my way over, thank you for your patience,” He is so polite, he didn't have to apologize to us, we were happily waiting.  When he came over, Josh introduced me as the winner of the contest from DCO.com and David said “I know, I saw your picture,” I looked at Josh and said, “Thanks Josh, you could have asked me for a better pic!” he just laughed at me. I asked David to sign my Chuck Taylors, he signed his name and then wrote “Watch your step…” How does the man know I’m a klutz?  Haha!  David then asked me to sign his shoe, which was super cool.  I got a big hug from him, said thank you and he said “It was great to meet you.”  David, Susan and I posed for a picture for the website and off we went. Everyone has asked me “What was David Cook like…”  David Cook is an amazingly talented man with the patience of a saint. He is just a genuine nice guy.  Josh then took Susan and I back to the Sony building and gave us a copy of David's CD!  I love all of the songs, but I do have to say that “Bar-ba-sol” is my favorite, but that’s because I like my music a little rough.  Thank you Josh and everyone at RCA and GMA for such an awesome experience! For more on this and David Cook's CD, which is number one on iTunes, visit DavidCookOfficial.com!

An interview with Bo Bice is not just an information gathering session, but rather a chat about life, love, and the pursuit of happiness.  The season four runner-up refers to himself as “just a redneck kid from Alabama,” but he is far from it.  It would be hard to find a musician as ambitious as Bo yet, at the same time, with an unmatched passion for the industry. Life is most certainly good for Bo right now, as he has his very own studio on his property.  He admits that it can be a blessing and a curse at times, and he even goes so far as to say that the main reason that he did it is because he is a “control freak.”  He is out there all the time, working away on his music.  However, with two little boys (Aidan and Caleb) who also enjoy hanging with Daddy in the studio, Bo makes sure that things shut down when they decide to enter.  If the red recording light is on, they know to stay out for the meantime.  But once the red light goes off, it’s as much their studio as it is his.  That’s Bo’s one rule. It’s most likely that same sense of control that drove Bo to create his own label, Sugar Money, and Sugar Money Publishing.  It’s not like the industry’s bigger labels in which there are people assigned to the banking, the marketing, and the manufacturing.  He had to find his own partners, and he lets them handle those aspects, while he immerses himself in the creative forum.  The best part, according to Bo, is that they get to go out and decide what projects are exciting to them. While Bo obviously has a firm grasp on the business part of the music industry, it’s the music itself that really moves him.  One recent project was the formation of “Brothers of the Southland,” a Southern rock band that came together to make a record and do some touring.  George Drakoulias, who Bo worked with on the Blades Of Glory soundtrack, introduced Bo to one of his musical idols, Steve Gorman of The Black Crowes.  Not only did Steve ask Bo to take part in the Brothers band, but Steve also played on Bo’s sophomore album, See The Light. Another dream job for Bo was taking part in the “40 Years Ago Today” tour with Todd Lundgren, Lou Gramm, Christopher Cross and Denny Laine.  It was a 10-show tour in which the musicians paid tribute to The Beatles by playing songs from the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album.  Bo said the project was “really a blast,” and the best part was the two weeks they spent rehearsing.  He said that he would look around and think to himself, “What am I doing here?”  But Bo has worked with plenty of his idols since his time on AI, including Lynrd Skynrd, Allman Brothers, Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, and the list goes on.  While he feels that See The Light is a better reflection of him as an artist, he credits Clive Davis and his work on Bo’s first album, The Real Thing, for getting Bo’s name out there and giving him such great opportunities. Working for americanidol.com, there was no way around asking about Bo about why he decided to sing “In A Dream” a capella, his legendary performance during season four.  Bo almost seemed to expect the question, but his answer was definitely shocking.  He sang "In A Dream" for as long as he’d been performing as his sound check song.  He would sing it as the crew would get the instruments in tune because it was the perfect length for that purpose.  He decided to have the song cleared through the show, and at the end of the season, he learned that he and Carrie decided to sing the same song one night.  So, at the last second, he asked someone from the show if he could sing “In A Dream,” but it was too late for the band to learn the song! Bo talks about the whole AI experience with great affection, saying it was a “great season” and he worked with “wonderful, spirited people.”  He went on to call Carrie Underwood “spectacular” and “a sweet girl.”  Bo said that if it weren’t for AI, no one would know who he is, and he’s very grateful for that.  As he said, “I feel very fulfilled by each experience and each mile that I’ve traveled.” When asked about his health issues that he struggled with for a long time (He’s had a clean bill of health for two years!), Bo becomes contemplative.  Those were some “down times,” he said, as he had no insurance, a mortgage to pay, and mounting hospital bills, all the while he was living paycheck to paycheck.  He added that the down times weren’t only due to the health issues, themselves, but the medications that went along with them, and the expectations for his career.  He clung to a saying that both his father and grandfather used to tell him:  “This too shall pass.”  Bo has gone overseas twice now to entertain troops, and he only just got back from a trip to Iraq about two weeks ago.  He said that this helps to put everything in perspective.  He recalled seeing a 19-year-old “beat up with shrapnel” at Walter Reed hospital.  It made him realize that, while his health issues were a curse at the time, he now considers them a blessing because, as he put it, “They helped me to find solace.”  And he found “the true spiritual definition of such a meaningless phrase,” referring again to “This too shall pass.” As for what the future holds, Bo is working on putting out a live album from touring all year long.  He made two videos as well, each with “private scenes footage.”  He wants to put that out next year.  He also has some new songs that he is really proud of, and even says that he has changed his style a bit.  As he put it, “I’m showcasing a little more Jim Croce—the singer/songwriter part of me that people might not have seen post-Idol.”  He said that when he grabs the reigns, he tends to pull himself in several directions, and he just has to “ride the ride.”  We’ll be right there with you, Bo. We sat down with Bo just a few years back, just after the release of his first album--stroll down Memory Lane with Bo! American Idol Rewind is gearing up for season 4!  Catch never-before-seen performances, bloopers and backstage footage of Bo and the rest of your favorite contestants.  American Idol Rewind airs weekly (Check your local listings for time and channel).  Don't remember who the contestants were that year?  We've got you covered right here.

Diana DeGarmo has “Gone Country,” but what many people probably don’t know is it’s actually Diana going back to her roots.  She performed primarily pop music on American Idol, as that is what had mostly been done up until season three.  However, Country music is where Diana’s heart is, and she’s thrilled to be making an album in that genre right now.  When she went to make her initial album, she wasn’t inspired by the pop artists of the time, and R & B wasn’t feeling like a good fit either.  As Diana said, “I was in a musical rut.”  After being on the show “Gone Country,” Diana is feeling renewed, and has fallen in love with music all over again.  “It just fit perfectly,” Diana said, as life has brought her "full circle."    The creator of “Gone Country,” John Rich, is working with Diana on her current songs, and she has finished four that they are shopping around for a label.  She calls John “quite a character” and a great mentor, and says she is “just in awe” of him in the studio.  It certainly won’t hurt to have someone who is quite connected in the Country genre, and Diana says that John has been introducing her to a ton of people in the industry. Something that is genuinely new for Diana is songwriting, and she loves every minute of it, calling it a “wonderful learning experience.”  “I get into the heart of being a storyteller” Diana said.  Ironically, she has actually been giving out her songs to other artists, while the four songs on her album were written by others.  She admits that it’s hard to give them up, but she’s more than happy to do it for the sake of country music.  As for when her fans can expect her CD, she says it will be just as soon as she can get a great record deal!  On top of the four songs “in the can,” Diana says that they have a bunch of other wonderful songs ready to go.  As far as using the Internet to get her music out there, Diana is frankly torn on that, as she has seen the good and the bad aspects of it.  Sadly, she says she's acquired a few stalkers over the years, but also says that keeping in touch with her fans via MySpace is one of her favorite activities. When asked about a possible return to Broadway, Diana says that she would be all over it if a great project came her way in which she could be involved from the ground up.  However, when it comes to reprising her role in Hairspray, she says that it might sound bad, but she's "been there, done that."  While she loved being in it, the physical comedy aspects of it were extremely taxing on her. Diana is currently living in the heart of the Country music scene—Nashville, TN.  In fact, she says that there is quite an "Idol conglomerate" there these days, and that the season three alums do keep in touch "at a distance."  She exchanges phone calls and texts with them whenever she can.  She also gets to see some of her fellow AI alums simply because they get paired together to do a lot of events.  In fact, she is doing a tour for the holidays with Kimberley Locke, Chikezie, and David Hernandez.  AI Music Director Michael Orland is putting it together, and she is thrilled, as she gets to perform some of her own music as well.  With “Idol Rewind” currently taking a look back at season three, Diana is able to really analyze the time she spent on American Idol, and particularly being so young when it aired.  As she said, “I grew up pretty fast and got to see more than a normal sixteen-year-old back then.”  She says she had a great time and the show gave her a “fresh outlook on life,” but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t do it differently if she were to do it over again.  Diana says she might have been more “strategic” if she was older at the time.  Whatever she did, it certainly worked, as runner-up is more than impressive! As for advice for future Idols, Diana says to have a good time.  According to her, viewers have a sense if you’re truly enjoying yourself, and are more likely to vote for you if you are.  Song choices are also crucial and Diana advises against choosing songs that you don’t know.  When nerves come into play, you never know what’s going to happen, and it’s best to stick with numbers you’ve done before.  Diana is certainly in a great spot in her life these days.  She gets to perform Country music, which she calls “the heart of Americana music, about your average, middle-class person,” and that is what she loves about it.  Diana said, “I’ve lived a different life than most folks, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”    

(AP) - 'American Idol' winner David Cook plays a song from his self-titled debut album during a concert for fans at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)